Automatic load controlling apparatus for grain polishing machine



APril 1965 TOSHIHIKO SATAKE 3,179,140

AUTOMATIC LOAD CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN POLISHING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

A ril 20, 1965 TOSHIHIKO SATAKE 3,179,140

AUTOMATIC LOAD CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN POLISHING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5 4

United States Patent Toshihiko Satake, 687-2 Oaza aijo-ltlligashi Saiiomachi Kaine-gun, Hiroshima-lien, Japan Filedlune 19, 1963, Ser. No. 288,939 6 Claims. (Cl. 146-285) The present invention relates to automatic load controlling apparatus for a grain polishing machine, as for example,;a rice grain polishing machine.

An object of the. present invention is to provide automatic load controlling apparatus for a grain polishing machine, which. comprises means for varying an opening ratio. ofa valve plate in the grain polishing machine, means 'for driving said varying means, an electric power line connecting electrically said driving means to an electric power line of a motor driving the grain polishing machine.

iI-nthe present invention, the load of the grain polishing machine is controlled by electric means operated by an electriccurrent varying in accordance with an electric.

load of a driving motor for the grain polishing machine. The electric means for controlling the load of the polishing machine may be an electric motor or electromagnetic means comprising a solenoid.

Other objects of the present invention will appear from the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side View of a grain polishing machine employing automatic load controlling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the grain polishing machine employing another embodiment of the automatic load controlling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the grain polishing machine employing another embodiment of the automatic load controlling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional View of the load controlling mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial side view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

In the grain polishing'machine 1 illustrated in FIG- URE l, a polishing chamber 4 is provided withan outlet port 2 at the lower portion of the side wall thereof and aninlet port 3 at the top portion. A valve plate 5 having a support rod 6 atthe upper edgethereof is disposed in the outlet port 2, and the support rod 6 is rotatably supported by opposite side walls of a trough extending outwardly from the outlet port.

The grain polishing machine 1 is driven by an electric motor 20 through a pulley 22 of the motor 20, a pulley 21 fixed to a rotary shaft of a polishing mechanism and a transmission belt 23.

A torque spring 7 is disposed between the rod 6 and the worm wheel 3 to rock the valve plate 5 in a direction opposing grain flow through the outlet port 2. A worm wheel 8 engages with a worm gear 9 attached to a rotary shaft of a sub-motor ltl. Therefore, when the sub-motor 10 rotates in the direction of increasing the torque of the spring 7, the load of the polishing machine increases, and

when the sub-motor it) rotates in the direction of decreas- I versed.

motor is connected through electric inductance means It 3,179,14h Patented Apr. 20, .1965

such as an induction coil means. In the power line 11 of the sub-motor 10,-. a rectifier 12, a relay 14 and a relaying meter 16 is connected in series through lines 13, 15 and 17. The relaying meter 16 operates to switch the direction of the electric current of the power line 11 between upper and lower limits, so that the motor 20 rotates in either a positive or negative direction.-

From the above description it can beunderstood that if the loadof the polishing machine increases, the electric current flowing in the line of the driving motor increases.

When the electric power in the line of the/relay meter reaches the upper limit, the negative direction current flows through the line 17. Accordingly, the sub-motor rotates in the direction of decreasingthe torque of the spring 7, so that the resistance of the valve plate 5 to the flow of the grain passing out through the outlet port 2 decreases. Thus, the loadof the polishing machine decreases. When the load. of the polishing machine de creases to normal condition, the relaying meter 16 operates to stop supplying electric power for the sub-motor 10;

If the load of the polishingmachine decreases, the electric power in the line 17 of the relay meter 16 reaches the lower limit, at this time the relay meter operates to supply electric current to the sub-motor which is rotated in the direction of,increasing the torque of the spring 7, so that also the load of the polishing machineincreases.

If an adjusting of the load in the normal condition is desired, it is performed by adjusting the relay meter 16 or the torque of the spring 7. As an additional adjustment a variable can be used in the line. 17.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2, electromagnetic means is used for the automatic control of the load of the polishingmachine, in place of the sub-motor iii in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1. In FIG- URE 2, a polishing machine 24- is provided with an inlet port 2-6 at the upper portion andgwith an outlet trough 25 i in the side wall of the polishing chamber 27. This machine is driven by an electric motor 35 through pulleys 37 and 38 and a transmission belt 39 engaged with the pulleys. A valve plate 28 is. disposed within the trough 25 and.

the shaft 29 thereof is rotatably supported. by the opposite sidewalls of the trough 25. A counter weight means having a lever-3 on which a counter weight 31 is mounted slidably is provided. The lever 30 isfixed to the-valve plate 28 at-one endthereof. The valve plate tends to this embodiment, an electromagnetic means ,is provided.

close the grain flow from the outlet of the machine.

comprising a solenoid33 and an operating rod 32 operated upwardlyor downwardly and connected at thelower end thereof tothe lever30. The opening in trough 23 as controlled by. the valveplate 28 is adjusted by the operation of the operating rod 32. The electromagnetic means is controlled by the variations in the electric current flowing through the power supplying line for the driving motor 35.

For the purpose mentioned above, one line of the power supply lines for the driving motor 35 is connected to the solenoid 33 in series. When the load 'of the polishing machine increases, the electric current passing through the driving motor 35 increases, so that the electric current passing through the solenoid 33 also in- Accordingly, the power of the solenoid 33 in creases. creases and the solenoid 33 lifts the operating rod 32 to increase the opening in the trough 25 by rotation of the valve plate 28 until the power of the solenoid is balanced with the counter weight 31. When the load in the polishing machine decreases, the operations are re- In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 3, an electric powersupplying line 49' for a solenoid 48 controlling the opening of the .valve plate comprises a resistor 52 and an amplifier 53 which "is connected to the power supply line 19 for the driving motor 20 through induction means 40. In the trough 41 of the polishing machine (-FIG. 4), a valve plate 42 is disposed of which the rotary shaft 46 is journaled in the opposite side walls of the trough 41. A connecting rod 45 is fixed at one end thereof to'the valve plate 42 and is connected to an operating rod 47 of solenoid 48 electrically connected to the line 19 for the driving motor 20 through line 49.

The operations are same as those of the apparatus illustrated in the FIGURE 2. Therefore, the operations will be clear without any detailed explanation.

The means illustrated in the FIGURE is a modification of the means shown in FIGURE 1, wherein a power transmission mechanism is used in place of the spring 7, the worm Wheel 8 and the worm gear 9. The power transmission mechanism comprises a pulley 54 fixed to a shaft of a sub-motor 60, a pulley 58 fixed to a rotating shaft of a valve plate 56 disposed within a trough 55, and a belt 59 engaged with the pulleys 54 and 58. A counter weight 50 is mounted slidably on a rod fixed to the valve plate 56 at one end thereof.

The sub-motor 60 rotates in accordance with the electric power current obtained from the power line of the driving motor. The direction of rotation of the submotor 60 is determined by the current direction in the line (11) as in'the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1. The controlling operation of the embodiment in FIG- URE 5 is performed by the reversible rotation of the pulley 58 due to the rotation of the motor. 7

What is claimed is:

V 1. Automatic load controlling apparatus for a grain polishing machine, comprising adjustable valve plate means for controlling discharge of polished grain from the machine, means coupled to the valve plate means for varying the position thereof and thereby the discharge of the grains, the latter said means comprising electric means for operating said valve plate means, an electric motor supplying power for polishing the grains, electric power lines for said electric motor, and electric lines electrically connecting said electric means operating said valve plate means with one of said inlet electric power lines such that said electric means operating said valve plate means is controlled in response to the variation of the inlet power for saidmotor due to changes of the load whereby to compensate for said changes and tend to maintain said load constant.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electric means for operating the valve plate means comprises a sub-motor electrically connected via said electric lines with said one electric power line, said means coupled to the valve plate means for controlling the same further comprising a worm gear driven by said sub-motor, a worm wheel engaged with the worm gear in driving relation, and a torque spring connecting the worm wheel and the valve plate means such that operation of the sub- 4t motor in response to load variation in the inlet power to the said electric motor causes operation of the valve plate means via said torque spring.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electric means for operating the valve plate means further comprises relaying meter means in said electric lines for reversing the current direction in said electric lines between upper and lower limits.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electric means for operating the valve plate means comprises a solenoid, said means coupled to the valve plate means for controlling the same further comprising a rod coupled to and controlled by said solenoid, and a lever secured to and controlling the valve plate means, the lever being coupled to the rod such that operation of the solenoid causes the valve plate means to be adjusted and vary the discharge of the grain.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electric means for operating the valve plate means comprises a sub-motor electrically connected via said electric lines with said one electric power line, said means coupled to the valve plate means for controlling the same further comprising a pulley coupled to the valve plate means in driving relation, a second pulley driven by said submotor and means drivingly connecting the pulleys, said electric means for operating the valve plate means further comprising means for reversing the direction of current in said electric lines.

6. Automatic load control apparatus for a grain polishing machine, the machine having a polishing chamber with an outlet opening and an electrical motor supplying power to effect polishing of grain in the chamber, said control apparatus comprising adjustable valve means at said outlet opening for controlling outflow of polished grain from the chamber, electrically responsive means coupled to the valve means for controlling the same, and means supplying electrical energy to the latter means to control the valve means and thereby the outflow of grain from the chamber in accordance with the varying power requirements of said electrical motor as a conse quence of any variation of loading thereof to compensate for such variation and tend to operate the motor under substantially uniform conditions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,979 10/15 Fasting 241-34 1,188,151 6/16 Chapman 146285 1,449,895 3/23 Endslow 146-285 2,428,100 9/47 Souln 241-34 2,766,941 10/56 Weston 241-30 2,974,885 3/61 Mollin 241-30 I. SPENCER OVERI-IOLSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AUTOMATIC LOAD CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR A GRAIN POLISHING MACHINE, COMPRISING ADJUSTABLE VALVE PLATE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING DISCHARGE OF POLISHED GRAIN FROM THE MACHINE, MEANS COUPLED TO THE VALVE PLATE MEANS FOR VARYING THE POSITION THEREOF AND THEREBY THE DISCHARGE OF THE GRAINS, THE LATTER SAID MEANS COMPRISING ELECTRIC MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID VALVE PLATE MEANS, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPLYING POWER FOR POLISHING THE GRAINS, ELECTRIC POWER LINES FOR SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR, AND ELECTRIC LINES ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID ELECTRIC MEANS OPERATING SAID VALVE PLATE MEANSD WITH ONE OF SAID INLET ELECTRIC POWER LINES SUCH THAT SAID ELECTRIC MEANS OPERATING SAID VALVE PLATE MEANS IS CONTROLLED IN RESPONSE TO THE VARIATION OF THE INLET POWER FOR SAID MOTOR DUE TO CHANGES OF THE LOAD WHEREBY TO COMPENSATE FOR SAID CHANGES AND TEND TO MAINTAIN SAID LOAD CONSTANT. 